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Technical Textiles
Context:
Centre to fund 150 startups with ₹50 lakh each for developing advanced technical textiles in the country
More on News:
- The Initiative is a part of Rs. 375 crore allocation for FY25 under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), which aims to foster innovation without seeking any share of the profits.
- The ministry’s support aligns with broader goals to boost the Indian technical textiles sector and promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
About Technical Textiles:
- Technical textiles are engineered products with a definite functionality.
- They are manufactured using natural as well as man-made fibres such as Nomex, Kevlar, Spandex, and Twaron that exhibit enhanced functional properties such as higher tenacity, excellent insulation, improved thermal resistance etc.
- These products find end-use applications across multiple non-conventional textile industries such as healthcare, construction, automobile, aerospace, sports, defence, and agriculture.
- India: As per a KPMG report, the Indian technical textiles market is the 5th largest in the world and stood at $21.95 billion in 2021-22.
- India’s technical textiles market shows a promising growth of 20% from $ 16.6 Bn in 2017-18 to $ 28.7 Bn by 2020-21, as per the Baseline Survey of the technical textile industry.
- It contributes to about 0.7% to India’s GDP and accounts for approximately 13% of India’s total textile and apparel market.
- India is the world’s third-largest exporter of textiles and apparel and ranks among the top five global exporters in several textile categories, with exports expected to reach $65 billion by FY 2026.
- The global technical textiles market was estimated at $212 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $274 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.2% during 2022-27.
Types of Technical Textiles:
Challenges faced by the Textile Industry in India:
- Lack of Awareness: The benefits of technical textiles are still unknown to the larger masses of the country. Due to a lack of marketing and basic knowledge about these products.
- Import Dependent: The technical textile industry is still import-dependent.
- Products such as diapers, polypropylene spun-bond fabric for disposables, wipes, protective clothing, webbings for seat belts etc.
- Imports increased from $ 1,635 Mn in 2014-15 to $ 2,209 Mn in 2018-19.
- Development of Skilled Workforce: Technical textiles involve diverse processes to produce various products, requiring specialized skills from workers, which are currently lacking in India’s domestic industry.
- Lack of requisite technology: Absence of a robust R&D ecosystem, Low level of adoption of latest technologies such as 3D nonwovens, multiaxial braiding, 3D weaving, warp-knitted spacer etc.
- Inadequate domestic production capacity: Of certain products whose consumption potential in India is high such as smart textiles and high-performance sportswear and swimwear etc. due to overdependence on Manual Effort and inadequate machinery.
Government Initiatives to Boost Technical Textiles Market
- Harmonised System of Nomenclature (HSN) Codes for Technical Textile:The government of India dedicated 207 HSN codes to technical textiles to help monitor the data of import and export and to increase international trade.
- 100% FDI under Automatic Route: Under which International technical textile manufacturers such as Ahlstrom, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark, Terram, Maccaferri, Strata Geosystems have initiated operations in India.
- Technotex India: It is a flagship event organised by the Ministry of Textiles, in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and comprises exhibitions, conferences and seminars with the participation of stakeholders from across the global technical textile value chain.
- National Technical Textiles Mission: It aims at an average growth rate of 15-20% to increase the domestic market size of technical textiles to $ 40-50 Bn by the year 2024; through market development, market promotion, international technical collaborations, investment promotions and Make in India initiative.
- Component – I (Research, Innovation and Development)
- Component – II (Promotion and Market Development)
- Component – III (Export Promotion)
- Component- IV (Education, Training, Skill Development)
- PM MITRA scheme: Inspired by the 5F vision of Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign.
- PM MITRA Parks offers an opportunity to create an integrated textiles value chain right from spinning, weaving, processing/dyeing and printing to garment manufacturing.